Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) has introduced Project Frontier, a new offering that would deliver an edge operations software platform, integrated with Dell’s edge portfolio. Project Frontier is meant for clients to securely manage and orchestrate edge applications and infrastructure for deployments at global scale.
According to Dell, more enterprises want to manage and safeguard data at the source but have limited IT assistance to do so, which has led to an increase in the complexity of edge activities, which can take place everywhere from production floors and retail storefronts to remote wind turbines. In a 2022 IDC survey, 42% of enterprises stated that assembling a comprehensive edge solution is the most difficult component of edge deployments.
Organizations would require a straightforward and efficient method of managing and securing the broad ecosystem of edge technologies, as the quantity of data created is predicted to expand nine times yearly to 221 exabytes by 2026.
“We’re seeing exponential growth in applications running at the edge, making edge the next frontier of business transformation – where devices, infrastructure and data come together to deliver real-time insights at scale,” said Gil Shneorson, Senior Vice President of Edge Solutions at Dell Technologies. “With this growth, comes complexity. It’s not feasible to have IT staff deployed at every edge location. Our decades of edge experience combined with our new solutions help customers simplify their edge and streamline their data to gain insights ranging from factory safety and the speed and precision of patient care in hospitals, while providing more choice in how they realize their edge and multicloud technologies.”
End-to-End Supply Chain Security
With the Project Frontier edge operations software platform, organizations can expect the following:
- They may combine existing and new corporate edge use cases using their preferred software applications, IoT frameworks, operational technologies (OT), multicloud environments, and future technologies supported by an open architecture
- End-to-end supply chain security solutions are used to support Zero Trust-enabled security protection spanning edge apps, data, and infrastructure from design to deployment
- End-to-end edge operations with centralized administration, zero-touch deployment, and secured device onboarding are more efficient and reliable
- Automation may streamline edge installations and operations across potentially thousands of edge sites with little to no requirement for IT skills on the ground
- Workloads are integrated with edge compute and storage devices for simpler maintenance and enhanced security
- To assist in designing edge deployments and provide a roadmap for expanding clients’ edge infrastructure to meet new demand, global planning and support services are provided across 170 countries
As an example, Dell Technologies is one of the world’s leading technology manufacturers and manages one of the largest global supply chains. By streamlining operations, securely linking vital data from the factory floor to IT infrastructure, and allowing real-time reporting of automation data, Dell intends to use the edge platform to achieve greater production line efficiency. In addition, Dell is working with clients through the Dell Edge Create Program to assist design and mold Project Frontier’s development to suit their particular needs.
“IDC sees a wide range of locations where modern edge workloads will be deployed, and it is critical that these environments are highly resilient and can operate with limited human intervention,” said Jennifer Cooke, Research Director for Edge Strategies at IDC. “Dell’s efforts with its Project Frontier look to be a strong step forward in realizing an architecture to address these needs and help customers streamline their edge operations.”
IoT, Manufacturing, Dell PowerEdge Servers
As Project Frontier comes to life, Dell is expanding its current edge portfolio to help businesses scale and manage their edge deployments with the following:
Edge analytics and operations – With an improved Dell Validated Design for Manufacturing Edge, manufacturers may simplify and streamline the deployment of edge applications. In order to enable cutting-edge edge use cases, enhance industrial processes and efficiency, and consume less waste and raw materials overall for more sustainable operations, the solution now incorporates additional Dell-validated partner apps. For instance, Claroty offers vulnerability and risk management, threat detection, asset discovery, network security, and threat detection for cyber-physical systems. Cognex machine vision enhances manufacturing performance and quality by removing flaws, checking assembly, and monitoring data throughout the production process. With its IoT platform, Telit automates data administration and collecting from sensors, equipment, and factories. To assist manufacturers conserve resources and time while managing factories, XMPro builds composable digital twins of such processes. With Dell’s private 5G capabilities, manufacturers can adapt swiftly to changes in demand and allow reconfigurable manufacturing lines.
Edge compute and analytics – The Dell PowerEdge XR4000, which is approximately the size of a shoebox, is the shortest depth server in the Dell PowerEdge series. The XR4000 is 60% shorter than standard data center servers, and thanks to its numerous mounting options, it can be mounted on walls, ceilings, or racks, conserving important floor space. The multi-node, 2U chassis server is resilient to unforeseen events like heat waves or drops. Even though it is tiny, the XR4000 is a high-performance server that can handle a variety of edge operations. It is built with Intel Xeon D processors that support several operating systems and optional GPU support. The new Dell VxRail rugged modular nodes are powered by the XR4000, which offers excellent performance and scalability in high latency, low bandwidth environments. It is available with the Dell Validated Design for Manufacturing Edge.
